Violence against children goes on unabated

Words are not enough to express our shock and horror at the cruel way Tuhin Miah, a five-year-old child, was murdered at the Kejaura village of Sunamganj's Derai upazila on October 14. The disturbing details of the torture and murder make us wonder if we still live in the dark ages, in the absence of any law and order. Otherwise, how can people kill a child in such a brutal manner? 

Unfortunately, such incidents are not rare today. Many such incidents of violence against children, including rape and murder, have been happening regularly around us and only a fraction of them are reported in the media. Only on October 11, a man allegedly raped four children in Savar's Dhamrai upazila, all of them aged between five and seven. According to Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF), an average of 28 children are murdered and 49 raped in the country every month. The BSAF reported that a total of 4,566 children became victims of different types of violence and torture in 2018. And according to Ain o Salish Kendra, from January to September this year, at least 1,644 children faced violence and 182 of them were murdered.

In order to stop this social malady, it is of utmost importance that we raise a social movement against all forms of violence against children, which should be supported by all the social and legal organisations. Such social movements are essential to break the culture of impunity that the perpetrators of such crimes enjoy. The legal loopholes through which the criminals get away after committing the most despicable crimes against children must be removed. The government should come down heavily on all the perpetrators of child violence and make sure that the cases filed against them are disposed of quickly. Only by raising a strong social movement and ensuring rule of law can such crimes be abated.